Long Time, No Update

It's been ages (at least that's what it feels like)! Here's a quick summary of our life as of late:

-Walker. Abby is completely independent with her walker! Right now we're working on endurance and to be able to take it outdoors, to church, etc. She can navigate in and out of some tight spaces and is getting to be a pretty good speed demon...

Ready for school!

-Wheelchair. Abby's custom wheelchair was delivered in October. It took her no time at all to adjust to the bigger chair (after learning how to turn in the Bumbo wheelchair). This is typically what we use when we go to the store, church, anywhere in public. She can get out of it by herself now and is almost able to get into it independently as well.

-Sticks. These are pink, as Abby might tell you (she's quite proud of them...). She hasn't used these for long and is already getting the hang of it. She can stand independently with them for a good minute or two, and needs a little help with balancing her weight while walking.

Really excited about these.

-Twisties. These little stretchy pieces of fabric are the game changer. They're helping her brain learn the muscle memory to keep her feet pointed the right direction instead of inward, her natural tendency. It's made walking a LOT easier for her.

-Cathing. We currently cath her every 3 hours. She's usually pretty helpful and willing during this time. Usually. She's also on oxybutynin now to help her bladder stop spasming. She takes this twice a day and looks forward to it (thank goodness!).

-Bowel program. Well.....let's just say that we're still figuring things out here. After struggling with finding a good Miralax dosage, we're now trying ExLax and having similar issues. Although it has been a little bit better, we're still extremely frustrated. We've asked her GI specialist (and believe me, are waiting for the next appointment to ask again) to begin enemas with her. We feel like this will help her (and us) schedule our days better and take another step toward being a little potty-trained. I really feel like this will be a life-changer. So, we wait for our appointment in April (or wait for our name to come up sooner on the waiting list for an earlier appointment).

DIVA. What more can be said?

-Aquatic therapy. SO FUN. Abby has really loved going swimming every week and has made such good progress since beginning this in January. Our sessions will end in March and we hope to do the next session, starting immediately after (sessions are 12 weeks). Her balance, strength, and endurance have all improved.

She can't not have at LEAST one stuffed animal on her person. Often, more than one.

-Katie Beckett. This is an amazing program that we've applied to for financial assistance. After our insurance has processed claims, they will go to Katie Beckett for additional funding (aka, the rest of the bill). This would be a huge blessing and we're hopeful that we're accepted the first time we apply. Often families need to apply 3+ times before acceptance. We've had our home assessment and are just waiting to hear back. Pray for us.

-Preschool. Abby has gone in for observational days at our developmental preschool. We meet on Tuesday to learn how many days she would qualify for and she would begin shortly after her third birthday. She is so excited about school and has talked nonstop about her teacher since observation. Even more exciting (could it BE even more exciting?) is that a bus would come pick her up. She is PUMPED. I am too, as they would help her on the bus, take her walker with her, and help her have the best time possible. We're really excited about this new phase of her life and know she'll gain so much from the school environment. She'll receive additional PT support here too.

I maybe teared up as I left her classroom...maybe.

Phew. Is that all? I think so. We are so thrilled with how things are going. We keep realizing how this move to Boise has benefitted us, especially Abby. She's in an amazing position right now and has grown so much thanks to her wonderful PT's, doctors, and family (cough, cough).

Always so helpful.

Thick as thieves. These two make each other giggle more than anyone else I know. It's precious.